CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2012
| Author | Malejcikova, Anna |
|---|---|
| Title | European Parliament Elections and Political Parties: Challenge for Democracy in the European Union |
| Summary | Two dimensions of democratic quality which create the backbone of a working democracy- participation and competition- are analysed at the EU level. The purpose of this thesis is to identify reasons for low turnout in European Parliament (EP) elections and to propose solutions for this unpleasant phenomenon. In order to address research problem, combined investigation of the work of European party groups (EPGs) and quality of EP elections is done. Firstly, level of cohesion, competition and interactions between EPGs are under main scrutiny. Based on analysis, non existent European Union party system is labelled as the cause of problematic EP elections. Secondly, comparative analysis of organisational and electoral rules governing EP elections in member states over time is done. Primary aim of this comparison is to determine which indicators positively influence electoral turnout. Based on results, list of recommendations for higher turnout in future EP elections is formulated. Qualitative research is based on data from various literature sources, electoral databases and portals, and semi- structured interviews with Slovak members of the EP. |
| Supervisor | Pelinka, Anton |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2012/malejcikova_anna.pdf |
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